DRAFT RESIDENT LETTER TO MINISTER OF HEALTH - BC
Your Name & Address
Date
Hon.Michael de Jong
Minister of Health
Ministry of Health
Room 337, Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4
Dear Minister,
As a resident of BC, I am writing to you about KUVAN, a Health Canada approved treatment for people with phenylketonuria (PKU). It is the first drug therapy for PKU.
INSERT A BRIEF PARAGRAPH OUTLINING YOUR PERSONAL STORY AND THE LINK YOU HAVE TO A PERSON WITH PKU. IF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH KUVAN, PLEASE MENTION THE IMPACT THAT THE MEDICATION HAS HAD ON THE PERSON WITH PKU.
PKU is a rare, inherited metabolic disorder. It results in an accumulation in the blood and brain of toxic levels of phenylalanine or "Phe". If left untreated, symptoms of PKU can range from mild cognitive impairment to severe mental retardation and epilepsy. While all provinces and territories offer newborn screening tests to determine if a child is born with PKU, it is also critical to the child's brain development that the appropriate treatment is initiated immediately and maintained throughout life.
For decades, the only treatment for this brain-threatening condition has been lifelong adherence to a severely restrictive low-Phe diet reliant on synthetic formulas and medical foods. Patients who are unable to adequately control their Phe levels often suffer from severe neurocognitive impairment with psychosocial impacts. Those who manage to comply still remain at risk for neurocognitive impairment, critical nutritional deficiencies, excessive weight gain and bone disease as they age.
In Canada, those who were diagnosed with PKU as infants through government-provided newborn screening programs require new treatment options to enable them to better manage their disease and achieve the best possible outcomes. KUVAN, a new drug therapy used in combination witha medical food-based Phe-restricted diet, was approved Health Canada in April 2010, but is still not yet accessible through public funding in BC. This is unfortunate because PKU patients who respond to treatment with KUVAN can experience a significant improvement in intellectual and psychosocial functioning. Due to better blood Phe control, they are better able to plan, prioritize and function independently in performing importantly daily activities at home, school and in the workplace.
That is why I am asking that you immediately provide KUVAN as a choice to patients with PKU who are responsive to the medication and to enable their health care providers in BC to more effectively manage this brain damaging disease.
Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Your Name
cc Your MLA
CanPKU